Brandie Wood's twins taught her something so important she realized she needed to share it.

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Mom urges parents to put down cell phones in a heartwarming Facebook post

By Angela Brown

January 9, 2018

Technology has done a lot for communication, education and even parenting. However, too much attachment to technology can have negative consequences, according to a study at the Boston Medical Center, NBC News says.

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In the study, researchers observed 55 caregivers anonymously. They watched how parents interacted with their children in fast-food restaurants around Boston, according to NBC News.

Of the 55 parents, 40 of them used a mobile device at least once during the meal and 16 were on their device the entire time, according to NBC News.

While scientists have shown that eye contact and vocal cues enhance connection between mother and child, there has never been a major study about the effects of media distraction, according to NBC News.

Another report by the Wall Street Journal indicates that there could be a tie between access to mobile devices and an increased rate of nonfatal injuries for children under the age of 5. The report shows that between 2007 and 2010, injury rates for children under 5 increased 12 percent. The Wall Street Journal discovered that during that same time that smart phone use among cell phone users jumped between 6 percent and 30 percent, according to Kars 4 Kids.

One mom decided to try her own experiment with her twin boys. Brandie Wood, a mother of twins, watched her boys play while she sat in the corner of room. She then made a mark for how many times her boys looked at her for approval or attention.

"I couldn't help but wonder if I was on some sort of technology, what message would I have been sending. Twenty-eight times my angels would have wondered if the world wide web was more important to them. Twenty-eight times my boys would have not received the attention most adults are searching for. Twenty-eight times my loves would have questioned if they were alone emotionally," Wood wrote on her Facebook page.

Wood encouraged parents to "be different," and put their phones down and spend some time with their families. "The next generation of children is counting on us to teach them how to be adults, don't be too busy on social media, you never know who is watching and what message you are sending," Wood wrote.

"Distracted parenting," according to Kars 4 Kids, is as dangerous as distracted driving. "It only takes a minute with a caretaker's eyes and attention elsewhere for a little kid to get into trouble -- it's a safety risk," Dr. Ari Brown told Kars 4 Kids.